Honeysuckle opens with its title track, an original number that begins with some delicious bluesy guitar work, setting the mood. Soon the good Reverend’s vocals tear into the atmosphere, singing the praises of that special someone. “Control her/I’d sooner control rain/I would rather wrestle with a coming train.” Those first lines are so good and make me think of the love of my life. Perhaps they make you think of yours. “Hard to handle/Soft to touch/She’s a lot, but not too much.” Indeed! This is the kind of love song I believe everyone can appreciate. That song is followed by the album’s first cover, “If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day,” a classic blues number by Robert Johnson, this one touching on a perennial blues subject, losing a woman. “I went to the mountain, looked far as I could see/‘Cause a man had my woman, and the lonesome blues had me.” That great raw delivery really conveys an ache. There is a whole lot of emotion to that guitar work too.
The McCrary Sisters join Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band on vocals for “Looking For A Manger,” giving the song a glorious gospel sound. Their voices could stand unharmed in the flames, no question about it. “Strangers you meet/Could be angels in need.” The song’s title reminds me of Leonard Cohen’s “The Stranger Song,” with its line “He was just some Joseph looking for a manger.” Then “Like A Treasure” is a wonderful and sweet blues love song, beginning with these lines: “I want to stay in this moment forever/Bottle it up and save it like a treasure/Open it up if we forget ever/That we belong together.” The passion of the delivery reminds me just a bit of Meatloaf. These lines also stand out, in part because we know hard times are coming soon to this country of ours: “Hard times, they may come again/Hard times make it hard on a friend/But our love is strong.” Love has to see us through.
“One Dime Blues” is a song written by Blind Lemon Jefferson. Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band delivers a lively, snappy rendition that has a good deal of joy to it. I’m especially digging that washboard. That’s followed by another Blind Lemon Jefferson composition, “Nell (Prison Cell Blues),” this one featuring special guest Billy Branch on harmonica. Billy Branch delivers some wonderful stuff, but of course you would expect nothing less from him. And what a great, powerful and passionate vocal performance! We then get perhaps a more surprising choice of covers, “Freeborn Man,” surprising because it’s not strictly a blues song. It was written by Mark Lindsay and Keith Allison, and originally recorded by Keith Allison, and then included on the 1969 Paul Revere & The Raiders LP Alias Pink Puzz. Lots of folks have covered it, including Jimmy Martin and The Outlaws. Rev Peyton’s Big Damn Band has some fun with it, delivering a totally enjoyable and kind of exciting rendition featuring some delicious work by special guest Michael Cleveland on fiddle. So it’s a mix of blues and bluegrass elements, and it’s fantastic.
Then we get back to the original material with “I Can’t Sleep,” a cool number that creates a strong bluesy atmosphere, in large part through that vocal work in that first minute (no lyrics at that point, but some memorable vocal work all the same). And once that mood is established, Rev. Peyton begins the song’s lyrics: “I heard him crying, mama/I heard him crying, mama/Way down the street/Now I can’t sleep.” This is an arresting number, and is one of my favorites. That’s followed by “Let Go.” There is something of a folk feel to the guitar work at the beginning, and then that stomping beat changes things a bit. Rev. Peyton delivers another great, raw vocal performance. And that guitar never relaxes, but keeps flying forward, spinning round, twisting its way through brick and wood and stone and flesh. “Lord, I wish I could let go/How my worries overflow.”
There is a folk element to “The Good Die Young” too. Special guest Colton Crawford joins the group on banjo for this one. There is also a playful element, heard in the opening lines: “They say that only the good die young/It’s the oldest story told/But if only the good die young/Then how are we growing old.” I love it. Lately songs about aging have been speaking to me pretty strongly, and this one not only speaks to me, but delights me. I guess we’re not so good after all, eh? This song also contains a nod to a line from Hamlet, with Rev. Peyton singing, “I am just an old dog/Just waiting on his day.” In Act V, Hamlet says, “The cat will mew, and dog will have his day.” “The Good Die Young” is followed by the album’s final cover, “Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning,” a traditional blues number, which Rev. Peyton delivers with power. The album then concludes with “Mama Do,” a fast-paced fun gem. “Your daddy don’t like me, but your mama do.” This one is certain to bring a smile to your face. I mean, seriously, check out these lines: “Pickin’ up a kitten, shine it on my shoe/Put it in the pocket of a kangaroo.” What else do you need to know?
CD Track List
- Honeysuckle
- If I Had Possession Over Judgment Day
- Looking For A Manger
- Like A Treasure
- One Dime Blues
- Nell
- Freeborn Man
- I Can’t Sleep
- Let Go
- The Good Die Young
- Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning
- Mama Do
Honeysuckle is scheduled to be released on February 21, 2025 on Family Owned Records.
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